Chances are good if you don't want your car until 2019+. Otherwise, you'll most likely have to order without having driven it, especially if you are a 3/31 reservation holder and want your car as soon as you can get it. Stores are just now getting a Model X to test drive, so you can use that as a rough guide.

do you realize that the mod 3 is still a concept car and it is a long ways away from becoming reality?

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Once the design is finalized and probably after part two of the reveal, there's nothing stopping Tesla from making a couple hundred hand built models for use in the Tesla stores before mass production ramps up.

Once the design is finalized and probably after part two of the reveal, there's nothing stopping Tesla from making a couple hundred hand built models for use in the Tesla stores before mass production ramps up.

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Nothing, except history.

With the Model X, when I asked a local store why they don't have one yet, their response was that Tesla's priority was getting the Model X in the hands of owners who paid for one vs. setting up demo cars in service centers. How true that is? Dunno. But it was a few months after they started shipping before service centers and showrooms got a Model X.

With the Model X, when I asked a local store why they don't have one yet, their response was that Tesla's priority was getting the Model X in the hands of owners who paid for one vs. setting up demo cars in service centers. How true that is? Dunno. But it was a few months after they started shipping before service centers and showrooms got a Model X.

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I'd worry that they told you that because of other issues with the X. Rumor has it many of the new Model S models in stores were hand built and don't necessarily show everything in the production model S specifically some of the new autopilot hardware (cameras).

Despite the history with Model S and X not having demo cars early on, I think it is more likely with Model 3, since the ramp should be faster (steeper curve) and the total number of demo cars needed will be quite a small fraction of production cars delivered in the first two (or maybe one) quarters. If they really nail the ramp up, I'd say everyone but employees and West coast owners would have a chance to test drive. Probably have to wait at least a year from now to get clarity on this.

Tesla faces a number of challenges with the Model 3, and getting folks to actually convert their reservations into binding purchase orders is not the least of them. If it proves to help the conversion rate, then they may actually build and distribute a demo fleet before they start delivering buyer's cars. It could happen.

I really doubt the early adopters will have the opportunity to test drive it before delivery. It was realistic for the S and X because of low production, but with the number of pre-orders and interested parties for the 3, there's just not enough time to accommodate them all. You'd be shuffled through like cattle and wouldn't get a really good feel of the vehicle, so what's the point?

I really doubt the early adopters will have the opportunity to test drive it before delivery. It was realistic for the S and X because of low production, but with the number of pre-orders and interested parties for the 3, there's just not enough time to accommodate them all. You'd be shuffled through like cattle and wouldn't get a really good feel of the vehicle, so what's the point?

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Its a good point. The test drive during Meet the Model X was very quick, but they had a floor model in the back area they allowed you as much time as you wanted to sit and play with all the features. The sale rep told me that it was a like a traveling road show, a day later the cars would be moved to a different store. Maybe the 3 will also have a traveling roading show.

My plan is to go down to Seattle showroom and see one in person before configuring my car once they get one in the store. If they do have a meet the model 3 event in Vancouver like they did with the x then I will use that opportunity to get a good idea of what I'll be driving